Comparison of different surgical techniques in the treatment of pterygium

Abstract

This study was done to compare the rates of recurrence of pterygium following performed different surgical techniques for treatment. One hundred and thirty eyes of 128 patients were examined following the surgical treatment in our clinic between February 2004- January 2008 with mean follow-up of six months. We performed bare sclera, application of intraoperative MMC (Mitomycin C), wide tenon’s membrane excision and conjunctival auto-grafting techniques. The age and sex of the patients and follow-up duration, operation techniques, complications and the recurrence times were noted. Median follow-up was 9,42±3,93 months and the recurrence rate was %25,4. The highest recurrence rate was %55,2 (in the bare sclera technique), the lowest recurrence rate was %13,5 (in the intraoperative MMC technique). It was %14,6 in conjunctival auto-grafting technique group and %31,3 in the complete tenon’s membrane excision group. Statistically, the rate of recurrence was meaningful between the bare sclera group and the conjunctival autografting group and between intraoperative MMC group. But the outcomes of the wide tenon’s membrane excision group and the other three groups weren’t meaningful. Bare sclera technique had the highest recurrence rates. Though, there wasn’t meaningful recurrence rates between intraoperative MMC technique and the conjunctival auto-grafting technique, we must prefer the second one because of its lowest complication risks. The wide tenon’s membrane excision technique needs some more studies to compare the others.